You can jam a shitload of people in a lifeboat and still have it float, more or less, so unless there was a whole other shitload of people that need saving I'm sure all of the people that are already in the lifeboat could try and accommodate the odd few.

On the odd chance that there are a few that cannot be accommodated my response would depend on the person in question. The biggest factor in my decision would have to do with whether or not the decision to save myself would fill the rest of my life with grief, regret and/or psychological torment.

I saw recently on QI that the whole 'women and children first' thing only ever actually happened twice in real events, once on the Titanic and before that some other boat (the Birkenhead I think) and it was only enforced because a crew member threatened to shoot any men who cut ahead.

Usually men just trampled the women and more of them survived, especially since women's heavier clothing in the old days made it harder to escape and to swim. But that doesn't make for such a nice stories now does it?.

Depends really, if I was in a really low 'life is shit' moods I'd give it up to anyone since I wouldn't care.

Maybe I'd way up the 'worth' of a person in the short time I had,like if they had kids, were pregnant, were a doctor, some oldie whose already lived their life etc. Seems really heartless I know, but a desperate situation.

Or maybe I'd keep my arse firmly on the precious seat and be burdened with guilt forever.

I would throw a child and a pregnant woman off a lifeboat if it meant saving myself. Ain't self preservation grand? In fact i'd throw an entire boat full of pregnant women into the ocean to save myself.